Design Thinking Workshop

This workshop introduces participants to Design Thinking mindset through learning by doing. Participants will learn and use Design Thinking mindset and tools to approach a set challenge. They will:

Adopt a human-centred mindset – understanding the users’ context and influencers, their values, motivations and frustrations

• Identify and define the users’ unmet needs and reframe the problem
• Think creatively, using brainstorming techniques to generate out of the box ideas
• Explore and experiment – try and test ideas with users through rudimentary prototypes in order to validate assumptions
• Adjust ideas according to customer feedback to ensure that they are validated by users.
• Work in a collaborative manner and understand the value of multidisciplinary teams.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This workshop is relevant to any professional, consultant, manager or entrepreneur in the fields of innovation and product management, customer experience and customer service, IT & technology, sales and marketing, research and development; and who deals with product and service innovations from an operational, strategic and organizational point of view.

CONTENT OF THE WORKSHOP

Day 1

Module 1: What is Design Thinking

This module explains the design thinking approach and its principles and methods. At the end of this module you will be able to explain what DT is its principles. You are familiar with the DT methods and when to use them.

The following topics are covered:

• Introduction to Design Thinking
• DT approach – Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver
• Principles
• Methods

In this module we introduce you to the challenge which you will approach with DT mindset and tools.

Module 2: Discover

This module focuses in the first phase of the DT approach – Discover. It is about understanding the users context. At the end of this module you will know different research techniques and be able to apply some of them for the challenge.

The following topics are covered:

• Qualitative research techniques e.g. interviews, observation, immersion, and practice
• Preparation for research for the challenge
• Fieldwork: interviewing and observing users

Module 3: Define

This module focuses on the convergent Define phase of the DT approach. At the end of this module you will be able to frame the problem based on analysis of the research insights.

The following topics are covered:

• Stakeholder map
• Empathy Map
• Persona
• Customer Journey
• Opportunity mapping and problem statement

Day 2

Module 4: Develop

This is the creative, divergent part of the DT approach which focuses on idea generation. At the end of this module you will be able to apply different brainstorming techniques to generate out of the box ideas.

The following topics are covered:

• Creative and lateral thinking
• Brainstorming principles and techniques, like group ideas, silent brainstorming, mash ups
• Criteria for selecting ideas (feasibility check)

Module 5: Deliver

This is a phase of the DT approach when the ideas are prototyped, tested and validated. At the end of this module you will be able to create service scenarios, use low fidelity prototypes to obtain feedback from your users and to test your assumptions.

The following topics are covered:

• Service scenario
• Prototyping (experimentation)
• Test of prototypes with customers
• Iteration – Adaptation of prototypes according to feedback

Module 6: Pitch

A pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to spark interest in your idea to convince the organization to invest in it. We will teach you how to prepare one. At the end of this module you will be able to create a pitch for the selected idea based on the criteria of a good pitch.

The following topics are covered:

• Pitch criteria
• Pitch
• Voting on ideas

Wrap up

The journey through the DT approach comes to its end. We will debrief and discuss the key learnings. We will also reflect how DT approach can become a part of your working environment.

The following topics are covered:

• Debrief and key learnings
• Applicability of Design Thinking in different sectors